Included with this application is a single-fiche microfiche appendix of 18 frames, which contains the programs pmvr.java (11 frames) and FloorPlan.java (7 frames); these implement the present invention.
The file of this patent contains at least one drawing (photograph) executed in color. The Patent and Trademark Office will, upon request and payment of the necessary fee, provide copies of this patent with color drawings.
A portion of this patent application contains material in which applicant claims copyright protection. Applicant has no objection to the reproduction by anyone of this application or patent as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, but reserves all other rights whatsoever, including the right to reproduce and use the software programs included with such patent application.
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to viewing panoramic images, specifically to an improved method for displaying a detailed field of view and a direction when viewing panoramic images.
2. Description of Prior Art
Using panoramic images to present virtual (computer-simulated) tours of real physical environments is becoming commonplace. Many virtual tours use 360xc2x0 panoramic images and employ a detail viewer. The viewer displays a portion of the panoramic image and provides a method for panning throughout the image. Panning is usually accomplished by using a mouse or keyboard input device.
A common viewer used to create these tours is sold by Apple Computer Corp. of Cupertino, Calif. under the trademark QUICKTIME VR. It provides a way to view panoramic images from a web site by using a web browser. Other companies provide services and software to create virtual tours for the real estate industry. E.g., such software is found under the trademark BAMBOO at the Internet site www.bamboo.com, and IPIX at www.ipix.com.
While these systems provide tours that contain many detailed views of rooms, it is difficult to understand how all the views or rooms relate to each other and which direction the user is facing. E.g., if a prospective real estate purchaser takes a virtual tour of a house and goes to the living room, then the dining room, then the kitchen, etc., the software enables the prospect to visit these rooms in any order and to see them in detail. However it does not indicate how the rooms interrelate physically, in which direction the prospect is proceeding as they move through the house, and where the rooms are in relation to each other and in the overall scheme, i.e., the layout of the house.
Thus, although these virtual tours have a good appearance, they do not help the individual to understand fully the field of view, direction, and relation of the detailed views to the overall layout because the tours display only detailed views of panoramic images. Some web sites display panoramic images along with maps of the panoramic image, but the maps are static and are only used to select which image to view. I.e., the static map image does not help the individual to fully understand the field of view, direction, and relation to the overall layout.
An architectural design software package, sold under the trademark CHIEF ARCHITECT at www.chiefarch.com, allows a user to in effect to place a virtual camera on a spot on a floor plan and have a window appear on the screen to indicate the camera""s field of view in a map window. (Two short, fixed-length diverging lines on the floor plan indicate a sector seen by the camera and thus indicate the camera""s field of view.) But if the user changes the field of view in this window by resizing it, moving controls bars, or using an xe2x80x9celevatorxe2x80x9d (a block in the vertical side column), the xe2x80x9ccamera""sxe2x80x9d orientation on the floor plan remains unchanged and will thereby become inaccurate. This program also has a reverse disadvantage: If the user moves the camera on the floor plan, the map window does not immediately change to reflect the new camera position or orientation until after the user clicks in the map window. Thus the display can be very misleading because the two windows (the detailed view and the map window) will often be out of synchronization (sync).
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:
(a) to provide an improved virtual image viewing and panning system,
(b) to provide such a system in which part of a panoramic image is represented in a detailed image, the location of which is shown in an improved map image,
(c) to provide a detail viewer in which a user will understand the field of view that is shown in this view and in which direction it is taken,
(d) to provide such a viewer in which it is much easier for the user to understand direction without any prior knowledge of the physical location of the panoramic image, and
(e) to provide such a viewer in which the detailed image and the map image are never be out of sync because any change in the detailed image is immediately reflected in the map image, and any change in the map image is immediately reflected in the detailed image.
Other objects and advantages are:
(f) to provide a viewer for viewing detail in a panoramic image in association with a map that shows the location of the detailed image in the panoramic image,
(g) to provide such a viewer in which, when the detailed image changes, the map shows a highlight indicating this new detailed image, and
(h) to provide such a viewer in which detailed image or field of view is highlighted or otherwise indicated to provide a frame of reference for those who have never physically been to the location.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.